The SDFLA Blog is dedicated to providing news and notes regarding federal practice in the Southern District of Florida. The New Times calls the blog "the definitive source on South Florida's federal court system." All tips on court happenings are welcome and will remain anonymous. Please email David Markus at dmarkus@markuslaw.com

Monday, May 11, 2015

Salomon Melgen denied bail

Despite claims by
Melgen’s attorneys that he had no intention of fleeing to his native
Dominican Republic, U.S. Magistrate James Hopkins denied their request
to allow the 60-year-old doctor to post a sizable bond, secured by
property worth millions, so he can help them prepare for his trial, now
scheduled for Feb. 22.
“There are no combination of conditions
that will reasonably assure the appearance of the defendant,” Hopkins
ruled. “I will order that he be detained as a risk of flight.”
Not
only does Melgen face a possible life sentence if convicted of 76
charges of health-care fraud but he, along with his longtime friend Sen.
Robert Menendez, D-N.J., is charged in New Jersey with operating a
bribery scheme, Hopkins noted.
Further, he said, an extradition
treaty between the U.S. and the Dominican may not cover health-care
fraud. If Melgen decides to flee to his island homeland — where he has
luxury homes, bank accounts and links to top government officials —
prosecutors may never be able to bring him back to stand trial, he said.
Melgen,
who federal prosecutors said earned $1 million a month treating
patients at clinics in West Palm Beach, Wellington, Delray Beach and
Port St. Lucie, smiled weakly at his wife, son and daughter as he was
led from the courtroom in shackles. His wife, Flor, collapsed against
the couple’s daughter Melissa in tears.

Seems hard to imagine that Melgen should be detained. He's a 60-year old doctor with no criminal history. I would expect that he gets bail from the district judge, especially since he already got bond in New Jersey where the judge found that he was not a risk of flight.

14 comments:

yes, of course. rich white doctor with many connections and substantial resources should be let out so he can be at home. poor person of color with no resources to go anywhere - hell NO. that's what jails are for

No, u was talking about danger, not risk of flight. Dealing cracking is dangerous, people shoot at drug dealers and miss and kill little kids playing in the playground. As to risk if flight, u an with you 100%....zero for the local cracking dealers, Hugh for the fraudster....but come on...the dude has know this is coming for a long time

The Southern District of Florida blog was started by David Oscar Markus, who is a criminal trial and appellate lawyer in Miami, Florida. He frequently practices in federal courts around the country, including his hometown, the Southern District of Florida and the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. He is a former law clerk to then-Chief Judge of the District, Edward B. Davis.